I was lucky enough to get a jpeg of the new plan, and have been converting it to 3-D to get a better idea of what the changes are and what's going to happen to the plaza. The architects are still working with an idea of using intended traffic patterns to carve out the shapes of the building.
I've spent the past week looking at the old plans, and I noticed two things. The first is that the new plan does not show the carving away as clearly as the old one, and the second is that the current site preforms in the inverse way: that is to say, the entire space is defined by the parts that you cannot move through.
This may be an exaggeration. You can climb over the grassy knoll on your way from the Pit Pub to the Bookstore, but nobody does. The knoll serves the same function in the space as the raised stage in Herman Hertzberger's Apollo schools.
"At first sight it would seem that the potential of the space would be greater if the block could be moved out of the way from time to time and, as was to be expected this was indeed a point of lengthy discussions. It is the permanence, the immobility, and the 'being in the way' that is the central issue, because it is indeed that inescapable presence as a focal point that contains the suggestions and incentives for response in each situation as it arises. The lock becomes a 'touchstone' and contributes to the articulation of the space in such a way that the range of possibilities of usage increases" (Herman Hertzberger, Lessons for Students in Architecture, p. 153)
If the Grassy Knoll is to be removed, it should be replaced with something can address some of the same needs. I'm going to argue that the link between the at-grade plaza and the below-grade hub can have the same qualities of permanence, immobility and 'being in the way'.
I'm going to propose a diagrammatic plan for tommorrow (which I of course have not yet started work on) that organizes the plaza around an expanded stairway. I'm going to arrange elements to encourage use as an outdoor stage/theater and to create sunlit social spaces. I think the retail space and buildings in general need to be secondary to the stair, and I think it can be a great focal space.
What does the stair need to function as an auditorium?
- A focal point to act as a stage: This should probably be fairly large so there can be a variety of different kinds of presentations that occur. Maybe also the possibility of projecting behind it? Some kind of wall or corner? Frosted glass to present on?
- An escape route for people leaving the transit hub: No matter how many people there are in the 'auditorium', it will always be neccessary for people to use the bus loop even when there are presentations. It should be possible to get to the base of the stairs without stepping on anyone even when there are lots of people or walking across the 'stage' area.
- A slope: Obviously the stair will have some kind of slope, as it is a stair. But what slope? I think it's a good idea for it to be fairly shallow so that there is more stair to be an auditorium
- A comfortable place to stop: It can be hard to stand on stairs because they are designed for movement and not for resting. The stairs are going to have to be a bit deeper than the norm, and I would also like to incorporate some seating in a way that sitters do not have their views blocked by standers.
- Other programs built-in: The space needs to work even when there isn't a crowd using the auditorium. Most of the time it will be used by small groups or single people (alone, as compared to not in a relationship. hee.)
I'm going to try too put together a plan/section/something that addresses these issues.
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